Oct. 6, 2022

A new restaurant serving traditional Iraqi foods has opened on the east side of Sioux Falls.

Sahara Grill & Cuisine is in Neighborhood Market at 4301 E. 12th St., which previously was a Shop ‘N Cart.

Owner Hayder Hayyawi grew up in Iraq but fled with his family when the U.S. Army left the country in 2011. His father had worked as a truck driver for the military, and it was no longer safe for them to stay there. They moved to Sioux Falls in 2014, and now, in addition to Neighborhood Market and the restaurant, he owns a used-car business and is opening a second market on the west side of the city.

Hayyawi and Reem Alsulaimawi are doing the cooking, using fresh meats and produce from the market. The meat is halal for those practicing Islam.

Sahara features a variety of dishes, from grilled beef kabob and chicken shawarma to falafel and gyros.

Side dishes include hummus and baba ganoush, which is similar to hummus but with eggplant instead of chickpeas. Soups include fava bean, chickpea and a traditional dumpling version called burghul kubba.

Providing options for everyone, there also are beef or chicken burgers, chicken nuggets and French fries, Hayyawi said.

For breakfast, there are fava beans topped with eggs. There’s also kahi, a pastry, and qamar, a custard, which is a traditional Iraqi breakfast.

“Also we do it by request, so whatever they want on their breakfast, we will do it for them,” Alsulaimawi said.

They bake samoon, which is an Iraqi bread with a natural “pocket” for filling with sandwich ingredients, and also make desserts such as baklava.

Customers order at the counter, and the dining room seats about two dozen people.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Sahara also is available for catering and does special orders with 48 hours’ notice.

“If they wanted something special, like something that’s not on the menu, we work around with that and get it done,” Alsulaimawi said.

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